A downtempo gem from Thievery corporation

I get asked a lot of the same questions : how do you look so good, and, what downtempo records would you recommend ? One of the best mix of the genre is The outernational sound by Washington duo Thievery corporation. Although generally regarded as producers, Thievery Corporation have also got great ears for a tune and an extensive record collection. The Outernational Sound is best likened to a branded downbeat compilation such as Back to Mine or Late Night Tales. Beginning with David Snell’s “International Flight”, a jazzy bass-driven piece, the mix goes through all manner of styles, dips and troughs until it ends with the roots reggae of Delroy Wilson on “Better Must Come”. Intelligent drum&bass is well represented well by Thunderball’s “Vai Vai”; classic breaks come in the shape of Breakestra’s “Cramp Your Style”, introduced by the classic sax loop made famous by the 45 King’s “900 Number”; and the big tune is Mathar’s 1994 Acid Jazz reworking of “Indian Vibes” which features Paul Weller on electric sitar.

The Outernational Sound doesn’t hold many surprises, it is what many would expect from a Thievery Corporation mix album, but this is no bad thing. The songs are well chosen, the mixing, although unadventurous, is solid and the song selection is diverse and well considered. A good stop of spine tingling funky music !

The Troublemakers : Chez Roger boîte funk [Doubts & Convictions : 2001 : Guidance]